November 3, 2012

Kitchen Remodel Announcement: DONE!!!!!

Welcome to my new kitchen! Come on in & I'll show you around.

At long last, the kitchen remodeling project is done. As promised, here are before and after photos, lots of them. Because there are so many, they are smaller than I usually put on my blog. You can click or double click for a larger version. With each set of photos, I've included pertinent links to my remodeling posts. You'll find close-ups and project details in these.

The before photos in this post are not of the kitchen as I first saw it. You can see that here. It was the worst kitchen I'd ever seen. To make it functional we moved the stove and fridge, and added a cabinet as a peninsula. We lived with that for over two years. Dan was willing to make the kitchen the first project, but I needed to live with the layout and think about what I wanted:

Since this is a 92 year old house, you may be curious as to what we left original. The floor plan remains the same; we did not add any square footage (though we thought about it). The tongue and groove boards on the ceiling and inner walls are original. Everything else we added, replaced, or changed.

So. After that long introduction, let's start our tour with the back door.

Before. Shot taken Summer 2009
All photos can be enlarged

After

Before

After

The tin ceiling was our splurge, but affordable for such a small area. The larger window and windowed back door add much needed light to the room. The door and both windows are energy efficient ones, which really makes a definite difference in the room's temperature.

The biggest problems here were structural. One was the post in the middle of the room. It was left after a previous owner tore out a load bearing wall to enlarge the original kitchen. The second problem was water damage under the window. This was seen initially in the tongue & groove boards in that corner. Further investigation revealed that the rim joist under the window was badly rotted as well. It had to be replaced.

The idea to move the door came about while trying to figure out how to include a dining area in the plan. Once we knew where the wood cook stove would go, there wasn't enough room in the window corner. Moving the door gave us just enough room for a small table and two chairs. Plus it gives us a straight shot into the kitchen from the back porch door.

My little dining nook

The dining area is snug, but allows for good clearance between the corner of the table and the corner of the cookstove. We have enough room for a meal or a coffee break, yet remain out of the traffic pattern to and from the back door. The little cabinet above the table was in my grandmother's pantry when I was a little girl. I use it now to store salt, pepper, toothpicks, cat snacks, napkin rings, etc.

Originally, we were going to put the wood cookstove where the back door now is. This is a much better location because heat can radiate into the dining room. The ceiling fan helps with that. The stove also keeps the bathroom behind it nicely warm. The pot rack with light is very handy. Because the kitchen floor dipped and sloped so badly, more structural repair was needed before we could install the wood cookstove.

If you're wondering if I cook with wood all year long, the answer is no. The cookstove is used only during cold weather for heat, as well as cooking. My summer cooking and canning are done on my back porch, which also serves as my laundry room....

If this sounds inconvenient, it really isn't. My kitchen, dining nook, and back porch together total 266 square feet, which is smaller than today's average American kitchen (said to be 300 sq. ft.) Being able to keep the heat and humidity (especially from canning) out of the house in summertime is well worth it. I have everything out here that I need for summer cooking, canning, and cheese making. The washing machine lid makes an acceptable workspace and the utility sink is handy.

The original kitchen was 11.5 by 11.5 feet. At some point in time, someone built on a 12 by 14 foot addition (photos here). It contained a small pantry, bathroom (before and after photos of that here), and office/study. The French door was installed then. We converted the tiny pantry into a utility room, and the study into a new pantry.

The French door was in the way unless closed. Because there is no ductwork to the bathroom however, the door had to be left open to heat and cool the room. We considered removing the door altogether, but I wanted to keep the pantry unheated. We decided to move the French door farther back into the hallway, as the pantry door. That left the utility room and bathroom more easily accessible. To tie the hallway into the kitchen, we gave it the same wide plank flooring.

This is a much more convenient place for the fridge. I allowed enough counter space to set things going in and out of it. And do you see the framed out square in the ceiling above? That was a stove pipe hole, so we know that this corner was where the original cookstove resided. One thing that couldn't be changed, was the location of Riley's food bowl. He was very particular about that.

Before

What a difference, eh?

You can click (or is it double-click) to enlarge

I love everything about the new set-up. Dishes, silverware, glasses, etc., go to the left of the sink, coffee and tea making supplies on the right. I especially love the longer window, with it's better view. Details for these before and after photos:

My utensil rack has worked out really well. The corner cabinet has taken some getting used to as storage, because of it's odd shape.

My workstation. Everything is handy.

This is my workstation. It's out of the traffic pattern and everything I might need is close at hand. All my baking supplies are in the wall cabinet, knives in a drawer on the left. Dan woodburned the doors on the wall cabinet for me; for some close-ups of that, click here. The shelves and baskets are very convenient. The stool under the peninsula is a life saver when it comes to preparing foods for canning. My cutting board hangs under there as well. The peninsula is 36 inches wide, so I have plenty of room for every project. Cookbooks are centered on the shelf above, making them convenient from either side.

From the coming-into-the-kitchen side.

On the other side of the peninsula, I store everything we need for breakfast or lunch: cereals, chips, crackers, napkins, etc. Also bread baskets, cooling racks and pans for the toaster oven. Very convenient.

I know that was a ton of photos (I admit I was tempted to add lots of detail close-ups but refrained!) Also a lot of links (lots of close-ups of details there). I won't pretend that our remodel could pass for being professionally designed and done. I'll also confess that there are a few spots that still need trimwork. But it's done, it's comfortable, it's functional, it's welcoming, it's pretty. In a nutshell, we're very happy with it.

Simple-Thrift Mom, thanks! I love the green but it is impossible to photograph accurately. The flash seems to lighten it up quite a bit. The shots of the sink cabinets are probably closest to the true color.

Michelle, Thanks! It seemed to take forever. Probably one of the hugest jobs we'll have to do on the house. Dan says the front porch will likely be it's rival.

Jacqueline, it took awhile to get to the thought out part, LOL. Living with it for two years really helped pull it together. That's and lots of kitchen remodeling books from the library.

Sue, we are please and relived to have the job done. :)

Dani, thank you. So true about the kitchen being the heart of the home. Everything we do comes back to this room.

Judy, thanks! This winter will be the hall bathroom and master suite. More on that soon, though I don't mind saying we won't go all out on that one!

Sandra, it seemed so impossible when we first saw it: the odd shape, two windows and three doors, and in such a small footprint. Now I think my brain needs a long rest, LOL

What an amazing job you two have done! Your careful thought and good planning sure is apparent in the final results. It must be such a pleasure to know it's finished and just how you wanted it. Looking forward to Part 2!

I agree with everyone - before it looked cold and kind of bare - and now it looks warm and inviting! great job - to both of you:) and I think professionals could never put that much love and detail into a work like that! for them it's a kitchen - but for you it's your home!

Susan, part 2? LOL. It is a great pleasure to have it done. I know I drove Dan a bit nuts at times with my requests and constant changes, but he was a real gem and took it all in stride. Best of all, he did it!

Woody, thank you so much, (from one house remodeler to another). :)

Debbie, I was mentally prepared for the inconvenience, but confess it got really tiresome toward the end. This is the room we use most, so it's a relief to have it done.

Bettina, when I was looking at house remodeling books and websites, it amazed me at how many kitchens were in all white. It's the rage! That and blah neutrals. I suppose it comes from being a spinner - weaver - dyer - knitter, but I need color in my life!

I think there's truth in what you say about professional designers and remodelers too. Mostly they deal with a set of fixed choices, with some variation. Folks like rarely think outside the box, because the standard choices are more cost effective for them.

SmithGang, thanks! And this is what I love about blogging, it's a record of all these things. :)

I'm at a loss for words. Enough praise and congratulations cannot be given for the magnificent job you and Dan have done. To see the before and after pictures and know the forethought and million hours of just planning that went into your finished kitchen boggles the mind. You are some kind of a patient homesteading saint to have endured the long time your kitchen was in getting to this point! But now you will have and enjoy it forever. I absolutely love the individualistic coziness of it all!

I can't believe how much you did. Wow it looks so good! I think working on it for the amount of time that you did, gave you a better idea of where everything needs to go. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Mama Pea, if anybody can appreciate it, you can! I'm so glad it's done, and I'm glad we took the time to do it the way we wanted. The garden suffered for it I'm afraid, but that will be remedied next year. :)

Martha, thanks!

Renee, that's a very true statement. Several times we thought the same thing and I can see how many modifications we made along the way, as we tried to think through it all. Worth it in the end.

MTS&M, thanks!

Sandy, the workspace was a must! Especially for those of us who do any cooking, baking, and canning. My old kitchen had about 3 feet of counterspace, which is why we added the cabinet as peninsula. I like the wider peninsula though. Thank you for your kind compliments~

Very inviting. I can't wait for our remodel to be completely finished. We have started so many projects and finished none so far. They are just finished enough so the bath is going to be the first one to be complete. Lucky you. And the art work in so detailed.

Oh my gosh, Leigh . . . this really calls for a bottle of champagne! Let's uncork the bottle and celebrate a job well done. Your new kitchen with the before and after pictures should be in a magazine. It's just stunning!

I so appreciate this posting and know how much work it was to put it all together. I'm sure your loyal fans appreciate it too!

Stephanie, this room especially is an accomplishment and makes it feel like home. We're both pleased with this milestone.

Betsey, thanks!

Badgerpendous, Thank you!

And Richard, thank you to you too.

Norma, that's why it took a couple of years before we even got started, LOL. We did a lot of mid-project shifting as well. It's amazing now to look back at the project posts. And to think that a year ago the kitchen was a mess!

Oh My, it took a while but how amazing is this kitchen. It is so well though out and Dan and you have made your mark everywhere, it is truly a unique kitchen. There is so much to love. I know this post was a while ago but hey, its new to me. Loving this journey im taking.

5 Acres & A Dream. The dream has always been to live close to the land. The 5 acres came in 2009, when my husband Dan and I bought a neglected 1920s-built bungalow on 5 acres. The goal is simpler, sustainable, more self-reliant living, and a return to agrarian values.

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